System and method for establishing and enforcing service rules in a service provider network

ABSTRACT

A system and method for establishing a rule for an end device connected to a subscriber network. The subscriber network is connected to a service provider network via a local gateway. The subscriber network receives services from a remote operations center via a service provider network. Capability information indicative of a service that the end device is capable of receiving is acquired by the local gateway from the end device. The capability information is sent to the remote operations center via the service provider network. The remote operations center uses the capability information to identify a subscriber service that is supported by the end device. The remote operations center uses the capability information to determine if the end device requires an application to provide a service and, if so, provides the application to the end device.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing services to asubscriber via a subscriber network, and more particularly to a systemand a method for establishing rules for devices connected to asubscriber network that are receiving services from a service providernetwork.

High speed broadband networks deliver connectivity to a variety ofterminal devices that provide an increasingly broad range of services. Abroadband network may, for example, carry television programming, audioprogramming, gaming services, video streaming services, on-demandservices, digital telephone services, and Internet services. Theseservices may be delivered to a set top terminal, a computer, or apersonal media device, to name few.

From the subscriber's perspective, this connectivity is a double edgedsword. While new and better services are appreciated, the increasingcomplexity of home networks is not. Various standards groups have beenformed to develop interoperability standards that dictate how disparatedevices may communicate over a network. The most notable of thesestandards are HAVi (Home Audio Video interoperability; specificationavailable from www.havi.org) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play;specification available from www.upnp.org).

HAVi was created as a common software architecture for audiovisualdevices operating over IEEE 1394. HAVi systems provide a genericmessaging system for communication between software modules. Thelocation of the communication peer is transparent to the application.HAVi allows a device to subscribe to a service and defines an “event”relative to a change in that service.

UPnP is a protocol specification, enhancing the standard IP stack, andis as such network independent. For the transport of audiovisual contentUPnP relies on well known Internet standards such as HTTP or RTP. Theinteroperability standards such as HAVi and UPnP are generally directedto providing user control over multiple devices within a network.

From the service provider's perspective, connectivity offers bothincreased opportunities for new revenue streams and increased demands onsubscriber support resources. End devices have varying capabilities.Further, not all end devices will be connected to a subscriber networkat any one time. Because the architecture of a subscriber network islargely unknown to a service provider, it is difficult for a serviceprovider to know precisely what services to offer a subscriber.

A service comprises both content elements and network configurationelements. For example, an email service requires less bandwidth andlower priority than a voice over IP (VoIP) service. The quality ofservice (QoS) level associated with a particular service can also bedependent on the capabilities of the device to which the service isbeing delivered. Thus, an HD video stream may be appropriate for a mediacomputer, but may not be appropriate for a personal media device.

In a cable network, a quality of service (QoS) level is defined forcommunications between a CM and a CMTS for each service to which asubscriber subscribes. For example, a basic data service subscriber mayreceive downstream traffic at a maximum burst rate of 3 Mbps, while apremium subscriber may receive downstream traffic at maximum burst rateof 6 Mbps. Voice over IP (VoIP) services are typically provided withvery stringent QoS requirements to assure that the quality of acable-delivered telephone call will equal or exceed the call quality ofa call placed over the public switched telephone network.

The principal mechanism for providing enhanced QoS is to classifypackets traversing a path between a CM and CMTS into a service flow. Aservice flow is a unidirectional flow of packets that is provided aparticular Quality of Service. The CM and CMTS provide this QoS byshaping, policing, and prioritizing traffic according to a QoS parameterset defined for the service flow. Service flows exist in both theupstream and downstream direction, and may exist without actually beingactivated to carry traffic. Service flows have a 32-bit service flowidentifier (SFID) assigned by the CMTS. All service flows have an SFID.An active and admitted upstream service flow also has a 14-bit ServiceIdentifier (SID). At least two service flows are defined in aconfiguration file received by a CM—one for upstream and one fordownstream service. The first upstream service flow describes theprimary upstream service flow, and is the default service flow used forotherwise unclassified traffic. The first downstream service flowdescribes service to the primary downstream service flow. Additionalservice flows defined in the configuration file create service flowsthat are provided QoS services.

Conceptually, incoming packets are matched to a classifier thatdetermines to which QoS service flow the packet is forwarded. The headerof the packet is examined. If the packet matches one of the classifiers,it is forwarded to the service flow indicated by the SFID attribute ofthe classifier. If the packet is not matched to a classifier, it isforwarded on the primary service flow.

A classifier is a set of matching criteria applied to each packetentering the cable network. It comprises some packet matching criteria(destination IP address, for example), a classifier priority, and areference to a service flow. If a packet matches the specified packetmatching criteria, it is then delivered on the referenced service flow.Several classifiers may all refer to the same service flow. Theclassifier priority is used for ordering the application of classifiersto packets. Explicit ordering is necessary because the patterns used byclassifiers may overlap. Downstream classifiers are applied by the CMTSto packets it is transmitting, and upstream classifiers are applied atthe CM and may be applied at the CMTS to police the classification ofupstream packets. The characteristics of a provisioned downstreamservice flow are defined in a DOCSIS configuration file downloaded bythe CM when it boots and provided to the CMTS by the CM duringregistration.

Multiple service flows can be assigned per cable modem in either theupstream or downstream direction, and each of these service flows cancorrespond to a different QoS parameter set with differentcharacteristics. This is conducive to allowing the CM to accommodatemultiple kinds of data traffic at once, such as standard Internettraffic and Voice over IP (VoIP).

To guarantee bandwidth for a specific service, a network device must beable to identify packets associated with that service in all the IPtraffic flowing through it. This identification and grouping process iscalled packet classification. Media gateways and MTAs use various matchcriteria to place traffic into a certain number of classes. Packetmarking is the process of setting a Type of Service (ToS) bits orDifferentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) bits in the IP header.

Ideally, a service provider would offer services to a subscriberconsistent with the subscriber's network architecture and consistentwith a level of service for which the subscriber has paid an appropriatefee. What would be useful would be a system that could determine asubscriber's network architecture, determine the capabilities of enddevices registered with the subscriber network, determine the serviceswhich a subscriber is entitled to receive, and establish rules for thedelivery of services to appropriate end devices.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment of the present invention, a subscriber receivesservices from a remote operations center over a service providernetwork. The service provider network terminates at the subscriberlocation in a gateway comprising a local device manager (LDM), a localrule manager (LRM) and a local application manager (LAM). An end deviceis connected to the local gateway via a subscriber local area network(LAN) that may be wired or wireless. In an embodiment of the presentinvention, the service provider network is a broadband network and theremote operations center is a head-end. However, this is not meant as alimitation.

The LDM receives information indicative of the capabilities of the enddevice. In an embodiment of the present invention, the capabilityinformation is reported to the LDM by the end device. By way ofillustration and not as a limitation, the LDM and the end device arecompliant with the UPnP protocol. The capability information is reportedto the LDM in accordance with UPnP procedures. In an alternateembodiment, the capability information of an end device is acquiredthrough a user interface that receives and accepts input from asubscriber via an input device. The LDM stores the capabilityinformation in association with the end device and sends the capabilityinformation to the remote operations center over the service providernetwork.

The remote operations center comprises a remote device manager (RDM), aremote rule manager (RRM) and a remote application server (RAS). The RDMreceives the capability information of the end device and stores theinformation in a datastore. The RDM uses the capability information todetermine the services that are offered by the remote operations centerthat are suitable for the end device.

The RRM uses subscriber identifying information to interact with asubscriber datastore to determine the services that are available to thesubscriber based on the subscription agreement between the subscriberand the service provider. As a result of this interaction between theRRM and the subscriber datastore, two classes of service can beidentified. A first class of service comprises services determined to besuitable for the end device and which the subscriber is already entitledto receive. A second class of service comprises services determined tobe suitable for the end device but which require a change in thesubscription of the subscriber, either because an additional fee isrequired to receive the service or because the service requiresadditional resources from the subscriber network.

As to services determined to be suitable for the end device and whichthe subscriber is already entitled to receive, the RRM establishes rulesthat determine the services that the subscriber is entitled to receiveon the end device and reports those rules to the LRM residing on thelocal gateway for enforcement. By way of illustration and not as alimitation, the LRM may determine which end devices may receive aservice, the number of devices that may receive a servicesimultaneously, a time when the service may be available, a presetsession limit that governs the number of sessions allowed over a periodof time, and the service flow assigned to the service.

A service that is suitable for the end device may require an applicationin order for the service to be delivered to the end device. The RASidentifies applications, if any, required for a particular service. TheRAS may run an instance of the required application or may provide theapplication to the LAM. The LAM may execute or provide the applicationto the end device for execution.

As to services determined to be suitable for the end device but whichrequire a change in the subscription of the subscriber, either becausean additional fee is required to receive the service or because theservice requires additional resources from the subscriber network, theRRM provides the subscriber a notification message that provides thesubscriber the option of changing the subscriber's subscription.

It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to determine theservices available to a subscriber that are suitable for end devicesconnected to a subscriber network.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide services to asubscriber commensurate with the capabilities of end devices connectedto a subscriber LAN based on a level of service for which the subscriberpays a fee.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to offer to upgrade asubscriber's subscription so as to allow the subscriber to receiveservices commensurate with the capabilities of end devices connected toa subscriber LAN.

It is still another aspect of the present invention to establish rulesrelating to a service at a remote operations center operated by aservice provider and to enforce those rules at the subscriber LAN.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe general and detailed disclosures that follow.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a system for establishing arule for an end device comprises a subscriber network, an end device, asubscriber datastore, and a remote operations center. By way ofillustration and not as a limitation, the subscriber network may be awired or wireless network, the service provider network may be a cablenetwork and the remote operations center may be a headend.

The subscriber network receives services via a service provider networkoperated by a service provider. The subscriber network is associatedwith a subscriber by subscriber identifying information. The end deviceis connected to the subscriber network and comprises capabilityinformation. By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the enddevice may be a computer, a personal digitalassistant, a personalmediaassistant, a digital telephone, and a set top terminal. Thesubscriber datastore comprises subscriber service information associatedwith the subscriber identifying information.

The remote operations center receives subscriber identifying informationand the end device capability information from the subscriber network.The remote operations center accesses the subscriber datastore todetermine from the subscriber identifying information services that thesubscriber is entitled to receive over the service provider network(herein, “the subscriber services”). Using the capability information,the remote operations center identifies a subscriber service that issupported by the end device (herein, “the supported subscriber service”)and establishes a rule set to govern use of the supported subscriberservice by the end device.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the system furthercomprises a local gateway. In this embodiment, the remote operationscenter sends the rule set to the local gateway via the service providernetwork. The local gateway enforces the rule set so as to permit the enddevice to use the supported subscriber service in accordance with therule set. By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the supportedsubscriber services may be a service for video streaming, videodownloading, music streaming, music downloading, voice over IP, picturesharing, application sharing, video conferencing, video books andelectronic print distribution, movie and program libraries distribution,online gaming, alerting services, and advanced remote device support. Byway of illustration and not as a limitation, a rule set may comprise oneor more of a quality of service rule, a digital rights rule, a musicrule, a video rule, a voice rule, an application rule, a time-of-dayrule, a metered usage rule, a priority rule, and an authorization rule.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the remote operations centerdetermines whether use of the supported subscriber service by the enddevice requires an application to be operated at the remote operationscenter and, if so, operates the application at the remote operationscenter.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the remoteoperations center determines whether use of the supported subscriberservice by the end device requires an application to be operated by thelocal gateway and sends the application to the local gateway via theservice provider network if the application is required. In thisembodiment, the local gateway is further adapted for receiving theapplication and operating the application.

In even another embodiment of the present invention, the remoteoperations center determines whether use of the supported subscriberservice by the end device requires an application to be operated by theend device. If the application is required, the remote operations centersends the application to the local gateway via the service providernetwork. In this embodiment, the local gateway receives the applicationand sends the application to the end device. The end device thenoperates the application.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the remote operationcenter uses the capability information to identify services offered bythe service provider that are supported by the end device (herein, “theoffered supported service”) and uses the subscriber identifyinginformation to identify an offered supported service that the subscriberis not entitled to receive, and notifying the subscriber of how tobecome authorized to receive the offered supported service that thesubscriber is not entitled to receive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for providing rules to anend device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a process for establishing rules for an end deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment of the present invention, a local gateway comprises alocal rule manager (LRM) and a local application manager (LAM). An enddevice is connected to the local gateway via a local area network (LAN)that may be wired or wireless. The local gateway also connects the LANto a remote operations center via an external network. The remoteoperations center comprises a remote rule manager (RRM) and a remoteapplication server (RAS). The RAS operates network-based applicationsthat the local gateway and/or an end device may use. Use of anetwork-based application by an end device is determined by rulesestablished for the end device by the RRM and enforced by the LRM.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for providing rules to anend device according to an embodiment of the present invention.Subscriber LAN 100 connects gateway 110 to end device 130A, end device130B, and end device 130C. Gateway 110 connects subscriber LAN 100 toservice provider network 140. Service provider network 140 connectsremote operations center 150 to gateway 110. The subscriber network isassociated with a subscriber by subscriber identifying information

Gateway 110 comprises local device manager (LDM) 115, local applicationsmanager 120, and local rule manager 125 (LRM). LDM 115 receivesinformation indicative of the capabilities of an end device (130A-C). Inan embodiment of the present invention, the capability information isreported to the LDM 115 by the end device, as for example end device130A. By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the LDM 115 andthe end device 130A are compliant with the UPnP protocol. The capabilityinformation is reported to the LDM 115 in accordance with UPnPprocedures. In an alternate embodiment, the capability information ofend device 130A is acquired through a user interface that receives andaccepts input from a subscriber via an input device (not illustrated butwell known in the art). The LDM 115 stores the capability information inassociation with the end device 130A and sends the capabilityinformation and subscriber identifying information to the remoteoperations center 150 over the service provider network 140.

The remote operations center comprises a remote device manager (RDM)155, a remote rule manager (RRM) 165 and a remote application server(RAS) 160. The RDM 155 receives subscriber identifying information andthe capability information of the end device (130A-C) and stores theinformation in a datastore 170. The RDM 155 uses the capabilityinformation to determine the services that are supported by the enddevice. The RDM 155 reports these supported subscriber services to theRRM 165.

The RRM 165 uses the subscriber identifying information to interact witha subscriber datastore 180 to determine the services that are availableto the subscriber based on the subscription agreement between thesubscriber and the service provider. In an embodiment of the presentinvention, the subscriber datastore 180 comprises a subscriber billingsystem. As a result of this interaction between the RRM 165 and thesubscriber datastore, two classes of service can be identified.

A first class of service comprises services determined to be suitablefor each end device (130A-C) and which the subscriber is currentlyentitled to receive. By way of illustration and not as a limitation,subscriber services may comprise video streaming, video downloading,music streaming, music downloading, voice over IP, picture sharing,application sharing, video conferencing, video books and electronicprint distribution, movie and program libraries distribution, onlinegaming, alerting services, and advanced remote device support.

A second class of service comprises additional services determined to besuitable for the end device but which require a change in thesubscription of the subscriber, either because an additional fee isrequired to receive the service or because the service requiresadditional resources from the service provider network 140.

As to the first class of services (services determined to be suitablefor the end device (130A-C) and which the subscriber is already entitledto receive), the RRM 165 establishes rules that determine the servicesthat the subscriber is entitled to receive on the end devices (130A-C)and reports those rules to the LRM 125 residing on the local gateway 110for enforcement. By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the LRM125 may enforce rules that establish which end devices (130A-C) mayreceive a service, the number of devices that may receive a servicesimultaneously, a time when the service may be available, a presetsession limit that governs the number of sessions allowed over a periodof time, and the service flow assigned to the service.

Based on the foregoing, in this embodiment of the present invention, theremote operations center is adapted for receiving the subscriberidentifying information and the end device capability information fromthe subscriber network, accessing the subscriber datastore to determinefrom the subscriber identifying information services that the subscriberis entitled to receive over the service provider network, using thecapability information to identify a subscriber service that issupported by the end device, and establishing a rule set to govern useof the supported subscriber service by the end device. Further, theremote operations center is adapted for sending the rule set to localgateway and the local gateway is adapted for enforcing the rule set soas to permit the end device to use the supported subscriber service inaccordance with the rule set.

A service that is suitable for an end device (130A-C) may require anapplication in order for the service to be delivered to the end device.The RAS 160 identifies applications, if any, required for a particularservice. The RAS 160 may run an instance of the required application ormay provide the application to the LAM 120. The LAM 120 may execute theapplication or provide the application to an end device (130A-C) forexecution. The LAM 120 also manages data exchanges between an end device(130A-C), an application, and RAS 160. Based on the foregoing, in thisembodiment of the present invention, the remote operations center isadapted for determining whether use of the supported subscriber serviceby the end device requires an application to be operated at the remoteoperations center and operating the application at the remote operationscenter if the application is required. In an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention, the remote operations center is adapted forsending the application to the local gateway and the local gateway isadapted for receiving and operating the application. In yet anotherembodiment of the present invention, the remote operations center isadapted for sending the application to the end device and the end deviceis adapted for receiving and operating the application.

As to the second class of services (a service that is suitable for anend device (FIG. 1, 130A-C) but would require a change in thesubscription of the subscriber, either because an additional fee isrequired to receive the service or because the service requiresadditional resources from the subscriber network), the RRM 165 sends thesubscriber a notification message that provides the subscriber theoption of changing the subscriber's subscription. If the offer to changethe subscription is rejected, the second class of services is notprovided to the subscriber. The rules reported to the LRM 125 would thuscomprise rules that enable services within the first class of servicesand preclude access to services within the second class of services.Based on the foregoing, in this embodiment of the present invention, theremote operations center is adapted for using the capability informationto identify services offered by the service provider that are supportedby the end device, using the subscriber identifying information toidentify an offered supported service that the subscriber is notentitled to receive, and notifying the subscriber of how to becomeauthorized to receive the offered supported service that the subscriberis not entitled to receive.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the RRM 165 interacts with asubscriber datastore 180 to obtain a service bundle identifier that isassociated with a service bundle that describes the services that thesubscriber is authorized to receive. In this embodiment, the bundlelevel identifier is also associated with a rule set held in rule library175. The capability information of the end devices (130A-C) is checkedagainst the service bundle description to determine whether thesubscriber has changed the architecture of subscriber LAN 100 so asrequire a change in the service bundle assigned to the subscriber. Thereassignment of a subscriber to a new service bundle may be transparentto the subscriber or may require the subscriber to pay an additionalsubscription fee. If the service bundle identifier is changed, RRM 165interacts with rule library 175 to determine the rule set associatedwith the new service bundle identifier. This rule set is thencommunicated to LRM 125.

As previously described, an application may be required to provide aservice to a subscriber. An application may be executed on the RAS 160,on the LDM 115, or on a particular end device (130A-C). As will beappreciated by those skilled in the art, an application may comprisemodules that are executed on any combination of those logical componentswithout departing from the scope of the present invention. RAS 160manages the need for applications based on information received from RDM155 and manages the distribution of applications to the extent requiredby LAM 120 and/or an end device (130A-C).

FIG. 2 illustrates a process for establishing rules for an end deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an end device (130A-C) is detected 200 onthe subscriber LAN (FIG. 1, 100). The detection process may occur eachtime an end device is connected to the subscriber LAN, each time thelocal gateway (FIG. 1, 110) is rebooted, or periodically as determinedby the operator of the remote operations center (FIG. 1, 150). Adetermination is made whether an end device is a known device 205.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first time an end deviceis connected to the subscriber network, the capabilities of the enddevice are determined and the capabilities of the device and a deviceidentifier are stored 210 in a local device manager (FIG. 1, 115). In anembodiment of the present invention, the device identifier comprises theMAC address of the end device.

A determination is made whether an end device is a known device 205. Inan embodiment of the present invention, this determination is made byacquiring the device identifier and determining whether the deviceidentifier is stored in the LDM (FIG. 1, 115).

If the device is known, the connection of the device to the subscriberLAN is reported to the RDM (FIG. 1, 155) 255. Referring to FIG. 1, theRDM 155 uses the capability information to determine the servicesoffered by the service provider that are supported by the end device.The RDM 155 reports these supported subscriber services to the RRM 165and to the RAS 160. The RAS 160 coordinates the loading of anyapplications required for the end device to access the services whichthe subscriber is authorized to receive on that end device. In anembodiment of the present invention, if the end device is capable ofaccessing services that the subscriber is not currently authorized toreceive, the RDM 165 periodically notifies the subscriber of theopportunity to upgrade the subscriber's service commitment.

The rules applicable to a known device are determined and enforced 260.

If the device is not known, the capabilities of the end device aredetermined and the capabilities of the device and a device identifierare stored 210 in a local device manager (FIG. 1, 115). The capabilitiesof the end device are reported to the RDM (FIG. 1, 155). The RDM 155uses the capability information to determine the services that areoffered by the remote operations center that are suitable for the enddevice 220.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a remote rule manager (RRM)

(FIG. 1, 165) interacts with a subscriber datastore (not illustrated) todetermine the services that are available to the subscriber based on thesubscription agreement between the subscriber and the service provider.In an embodiment of the present invention, the subscriber datastore 180comprises a subscriber billing system. As a result of this interactionbetween the RRM 165 and the subscriber datastore, two classes of servicecan be identified.

A first class of service comprises services determined to be suitablefor each end device (FIG. 1, 130A-C) and which the subscriber iscurrently entitled to receive.

A second class of service comprises services determined to be suitablefor the end device but which require a change in the subscription of thesubscriber, either because an additional fee is required to receive theservice or because the service requires additional resources from theservice provider network (FIG. 1, 140).

As to the first class of services (services determined to be suitablefor the end device (130A-C) and which the subscriber is already entitledto receive), the RRM 165 establishes rules that determine the servicesthat the subscriber is entitled to receive on the end devices (130A-C)245 and reports those rules 250 to the LRM (FIG. 1, 125) residing on thelocal gateway (FIG. 1, 110) for enforcement 260.

As to the second class of services (a service that is suitable for anend device (FIG. 1, 130A-C) but would require a change in thesubscription of the subscriber, either because an additional fee isrequired to receive the service or because the service requiresadditional resources from the subscriber network), a notificationmessage is sent to the subscriber offering a service upgrade 230. If theoffer to upgrade is rejected, the process with respect to the secondclass of services is terminated 240.

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate exemplary rule definition tables according toembodiments of the present invention. The rule references QoS levels andapplication classes that are appropriate for a particular device.

Table 1 illustrates a rule definition table for a portable media player.

TABLE 1 Rule Table for a Portable Media Player Device Capabilities: 2Gbyte flash storage, Wireless connectivity, No Digital Right capability,UPnP capable, MPEG 2 Video playbackcapable, MP3 Music capable; 450 MIPSProcessor, 64 Mbps RAM; Voice not capable. Digital Rights Rule: Noaccess to protected content. Video Rule: Streaming access, small movieclip storage only, MPEG 2 file type only. No IPTV access. No downloadaccess. Music Rule Streaming access, download access, upload capable.QOS Rule: Level 3 for Video Access; Level 5 Music, Level 10 for allother services. Voice Rule None. Application Rule: Class 3 type apps orlower only Services Available: Video streaming; music streaming; movieclip downloading; music downloading; application downloading (class 3 orlower); Online Gaming. Service Subscribed: Video Streaming; OnlineGaming.

Table 2 illustrates a rule definition table for a smart phone.

TABLE 2 Rule Table for a Smart Phone Device Capabilities SIP VOIP,802.11n, Cellular, digital rights capable, MPEG 4 video playback, nomusic playback, 350 MIPS processor, 64 Mbps RAM, 64 Mbps Flash memory.Digital Rights Rule: Access to protected content. Video Rule: Streamingaccess only, MPEG4 file format. Music Rule No Access. QOS Rule: Level 1for VOIP services, all others Level 3. Voice Rule: VOIP Access, Longdistance, International, Cellular, Video conferencing. ServicesAvailable: In-home phone services, Mobile phone services; Videostreaming; Video conferencing application downloading (class 5 orlower); Online Gaming; Electronic books, print access. ServicesSubscribed: In-home phone services.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a local rule managerexercises preemptive control over services provided to a subscriber LAN.

Referring again to FIG. 1, LDM 115 receives information indicative ofthe capabilities of subscriber LAN 100. Gateway 110 monitors theservices that are provided to end devices (130A-C) connected tosubscriber LAN 100. By way of illustration, gateway 110 determines thatend device 130A is a computer receiving streaming high definition video,end device 130B is a VoIP communication device that is idle, and enddevice 130C is a web camera providing video imaging over an instantmessaging connection. If a VoIP call is received, end device (VoIPcommunication device) 130B will require resources from the subscriberLAN 100. A problem arises when the resources of subscriber LAN 100 areinsufficient to support the services requested by the end devices(130A-C) connected to it.

In an embodiment of the present invention, LRM 125 comprises a priorityschedule that allows LRM 125 to exercise preemptive control over lowerpriority services to assure that higher priority services are deliveredat a preset QoS level. In the example given above, assuming the VoIPcall has the highest priority, the LRM 125 would take steps to ensurethat the VoIP call is received at its QoS level. The steps comprise thetermination of a service (preemption), the downgrading of a service, andthe suspension of a service coupled with caching to allow the service toresume when the priority service terminates. In the example given above,the HD video stream could be downgraded to an SD signal, the HD videostream could be cached (recorded), and the video imaging transmissioncould be terminated.

While the services described above may be categorized as “downstreamservices,” the present invention is not so limited. Rules may also beestablished for upstream services. By way of illustration and not as alimitation, a service provider may offer a gaming service, a filestorage service, and a device monitoring service. These services requirethat data be sent upstream in accordance with rules determined by theend devices connected to the subscriber's LAN and by the level ofservice that the subscriber is currently entitled to receive.

A system and method for establishing and enforcing service rules in aservice provider network has been described. The present invention hasbeen described in terms of preferred embodiments. It will be understoodby those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodiedin other specific forms without departing from the scope of theinvention disclosed and that the examples and embodiments describedherein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Thoseskilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that otherembodiments using the concepts described herein are also possible.Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example,using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the,” is not to be construed aslimiting the element to the singular.

1. A system for establishing a rule for an end device from a remoteoperations center comprising: an end device, wherein the end device isconnected to the local gateway via a subscriber network, wherein the enddevice comprises capability information, wherein the capabilityinformation is indicative of whether the end device is capable ofperforming the functions required to utilize a service provided by theservice provider, and wherein the end device is configured to providethe capability information to the local gateway; and a datastoreaccessible to a remote operations center, wherein the datastore receivesthe capability information from the local gateway, wherein the remoteoperations center is configured for: accessing the datastore; relatingthe capability information of the end-device to services provided by theservice provider to identify a subscriber service provided by theservice provider for which the end device is functionally capable ofperforming (the supported subscriber service); determining from thecapability information whether use of the supported subscriber serviceby the end device requires an application to be operated by the enddevice; and sending the application to the end device via the serviceprovider network when the application is required, and wherein the enddevice is further configured for: receiving the application; andoperating the application.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remoteoperations center is further configured for establishing a rule set togovern use of the supported subscriber service by the end device whenthe subscriber is entitled to receive the supported subscriber service.3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote operations center isfurther configured for sending the rule set to the local gateway via theservice provider network, and wherein the local gateway is configuredfor enforcing the rule set so as to permit the end device to use thesupported subscriber service in accordance with the rule set.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the service provider network is a cablenetwork and the remote operations center is a headend.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the subscriber network is selected from the groupconsisting of a wired network and a wireless network.
 6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting ofa computer, a personal digital assistant, a personal media assistant, adigital telephone and a set top terminal.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the supported subscriber services are selected from the groupconsisting of video streaming, video downloading, music streaming, musicdownloading, voice over IP, picture sharing, application sharing, videoconferencing, video books and electronic print distribution, movie andprogram libraries distribution, online gaming, alerting services, andadvanced remote device support.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein therule set comprises one or more rules selected from the group consistingof a quality of service rule, a digital rights rule, a music rule, avideo rule, a voice rule, an application rule, a time-of-day rule, ametered usage rule, a priority rule, and an authorization rule.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the remote operations center is furtherconfigured for: determining from the capability information whether useof the supported subscriber service by the end device requires anapplication to be operated at the remote operations center; andoperating the application at the remote operations center when theapplication is required.
 10. A method for establishing a rule for an enddevice from a remote operations center comprising: providing from an enddevice capability information to a local gateway, wherein the capabilityinformation is indicative of whether the end device is capable ofperforming the functions required to utilize a service provided by theservice provider; receiving at a datastore the capability informationfrom the local gateway via a service provider network, wherein thedatastore is accessible to a remote operations center; accessing at theremote operations center the datastore; using at the remote operationscenter the capability information to identify a subscriber serviceprovided by the service provider for which the end device isfunctionally capable of performing (the supported subscriber service);determining at the remote operation center from the capabilityinformation whether use of the supported subscriber service by the enddevice requires an application to be operated by the end device; sendingfrom the remote operations center the application to the end device whenthe application is required; and operating the application at the enddevice and using the supported subscriber service.
 11. The method ofclaim 10 further comprising establishing at the remote operations centera rule set to govern use of the supported subscriber service by the enddevice.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: sending the ruleset to the local gateway via the service provider network; and enforcingthe rule set so as to permit the end device to use the supportedsubscriber service in accordance with the rule set.
 13. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the service provider network is a cable network andthe remote operations center is a headend.
 14. The method of claim 10,wherein the subscriber network is selected from the group consisting ofa wired network and a wireless network.
 15. The method of claim 10,wherein the end device is selected from the group consisting of acomputer, a personal digital assistant, a personal media assistant, adigital telephone, and a set top terminal.
 16. The method of claim 10,wherein the services are selected from the group consisting of videostreaming, video downloading, music streaming, music downloading, voiceover IP, picture sharing, application sharing, video conferencing, videobooks and electronic print distribution, movie and program librariesdistribution, online gaming, alerting services, and advanced remotedevice support.
 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the rule setcomprises one or more rules selected from the group consisting of aquality of service rule, a digital rights rule, a music rule, a videorule, a voice rule, an application rule, a time-of-day rule, a meteredusage rule, a priority rule, and an authorization rule.
 18. The methodof claim 10 further comprising: the remote operations center determiningwhether use of the supported subscriber service by the end devicerequires an application; and the remote operations center operating theapplication when the application is required.
 19. A method forestablishing a rule for an end device from a remote operations centercomprising: providing from an end device capability information to alocal gateway, wherein the capability information is indicative ofwhether the end device is capable of performing the functions requiredto utilize a service provided by the service provider; receiving at adatastore the capability information from the local gateway via aservice provider network, wherein the datastore is accessible to aremote operations center; accessing at the remote operations center thedatastore; using at the remote operations center the capabilityinformation to identify a subscriber service provided by the serviceprovider for which the end device is functionally capable of performing(the supported subscriber service); establishing at the remoteoperations center a service flow for the subscriber device, wherein theservice flow establishes a quality-of-service level for provision of thesupported subscriber service to the device; and configuring the localgateway to identify packets from the end device that are associated withthe supported subscriber service and to place the identified packets onthe service flow.
 20. A system for establishing a rule for an end devicefrom a remote operations center comprising: an end device, wherein theend device is connected to the local gateway via a subscriber network,wherein the end device comprises capability information, wherein thecapability information is indicative of whether the end device iscapable of performing the functions required to utilize a serviceprovided by the service provider, and wherein the end device isconfigured to provide the capability information to the local gateway;and a datastore accessible to a remote operations center, wherein thedatastore receives the capability information from the local gateway,wherein the remote operations center is configured for: accessing thedatastore; relating the capability information of the end-device toservices provided by the service provider to identify a subscriberservice provided by the service provider for which the end device isfunctionally capable of performing (the supported subscriber service);establishing a service flow for the subscriber device, wherein theservice flow establishes a quality-of-service level for provision of thesupported subscriber service to the device; and wherein the localgateway is configured for: identifying packets associated with thesupported subscriber service; and placing the packets associated withthe supported subscriber service on the service flow.